Delays at Medical Examiner's Office Concern Public Defenders, Prosecutors

By Charles Bassett, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY – Public defenders are looking to hire private medical examiners to look at murder cases in the wake of on-going problems at the Oklahoma Medical Examiner's office, said Oklahoma County Public Defender Bob Ravitz.

The state medical examiner's office has been under increased scrutiny from state legislators after the agency lost its national accreditation, its former chief investigator was charged with sexual battery of fellow employees and the new chief medical examiner was fired after less than one year on the job.

Read the Inspection Report on the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Oklahoma.

Public Defender Bob Ravitz said he knows of at least one case where he likely will have to bring in an outside medical examiner.  

Ravitz says his office is in the dark as to what's going on in the ME's office and the fact that the office is not accredited raises concerns.

A private medical examiner is the same as an expert witness and the cost can range from $1,500 to $10,000 if the expert has to testify, Bob Ravitz said.

The Oklahoma County public defender's office is currently working on at least 53 murder cases.

"If there are questions regarding the competency of staff, bodies being piled up, that's how evidence is lost, that's how mistakes are made, and that's how innocent people are convicted," Oklahoma County Public Defender Bob Ravitz said.

Ravitz says he knows of at least one case that will require him to bring in an outside medical examiner.

"If we have questions as to a medical examiner's report, yes, we're going to have to hire a private medical examiner to tell us if they think what was done in the autopsy was correct," Ravitz said.

The problems at the medical examiner's office also are causing problems for prosecutors, said David Prater, Oklahoma County District Attorney.

"We are waiting to see what comes out of the investigations of the Medical Examiner's Office to see how it will affect upcoming cases", Prater said

The backlog at the examiner's office has already led to a delay in prosecuting some cases. Prater said the delays are unfair to the families of victims, defendants, and the attorneys working on the cases.